The Five Scarves - Elemental Destiny Part 4
by RaceProUK
Summary: (Book 3 of 3, Part 4 of 5) The retrieval of the Elemental Crystals is taking its toll, with one of the party badly injured. But there is one Crystal left to find: the Fire Crystal. And while Hanna dreads reuniting with the Crystal that once drove her to madness, it does lead to a rather unexpected meeting…
1. Chapter 1

Maria wakes to the sound of the rain pattering the floor of the Kingdom Stone chamber twenty feet away. With a stretch, she stumbles out of her tent. Picking up her canteen, she opens it to take a drink; she drops the Wood Crystal in the process. The noise of it clattering onto the floor distracts her just enough to spill water down her front; with a hushed curse, she brushes as much water off as possible before it soaks into her dress.

The realisation she just walked hits her. She freezes, dropping the canteen; it hits the ground with a loud thud, splashing water over her shoes.

"Maria, is something wrong?" Hanna asks as she crawls out of her tent, pausing halfway. Maria doesn't answer; she just stares at Hanna, dumbfounded. "Are you going to answer me, or are you just going to stand there-" The realisation hits Hanna like a sledgehammer; her eyes widen in disbelief.

"Hanna, while I appreciate the view of your rear, it doesn't quite quench my thirst," Rob flirts from within the tent; Hanna doesn't respond. "Hanna? You OK?" Rob continues, poking his head out the tent.

"Look," Hanna murmurs.

"At what?" Rob asks; Hanna simply points to Maria. Rob turns to look; he too cannot believe what he's seeing. "She's… standing."

"And walking," Maria adds quietly.

"The Crystal healed her broken leg overnight!" Rob exclaims, in awe of the Crystals' restorative powers. "Where's the splint?" he asks a moment later.

"The what?" Maria asks, looking down at her right leg; seeing the splint missing, she looks all around her. "Where'd it go?"

"Did you remove it?" Rob asks.

"No," Maria answers.

"Then I don't understand." Rob thinks for a moment. "Unless… Check in your tent."

Maria complies. "It's in there alright," she reports. "Maybe the Crystal removed it?"

"Who cares about the splint?" Hanna interrupts. "All that matters is Maria is back to full health!"

"What's all the commotion?" Danny asks, poking his head out of his tent; he spots Maria standing outside hers, grinning wildly at him. "What the…!"

"I'm gonna test this out properly!" Maria exclaims; she takes off at a full sprint. After a hundred yards, she turns and sprints back; sliding to a halt, she trips, and falls flat on her face. "Ow," she grumbles as the others chuckle.

"Have I missed something?" Xander asks, peering out of his tent; this only causes Hanna, Rob, and Danny to laugh harder.

"Oh, not much," Maria explains, slightly muffled by the ground. "Just that I can walk, run, and faceplant."

"I thought your leg was broken?" Xander inquires, confused.

"Not anymore," Maria sighs.

"OK, that's enough fun for now," Captain Aquila demands over the collar radios. "There's still one more Crystal to get."

Hanna stops laughing suddenly; her expression becomes dark. "Guys?" The others fall silent. "The last Crystal… the Fire Crystal…"

"It's OK," Rob assures, taking hold of Hanna's hand. "Remember: you're not doing this alone."


	2. Chapter 2

With all the equipment packed away, Hanna is the first to climb the rope out of the cavern. When Rob is sure she's high enough, he beckons the others to huddle.

"What I am about to ask may make you uncomfortable," Rob whispers, "and I hope we don't have to do it, but I need to you be ready to neutralise Hanna if she starts to lose it."

"I don't want to hurt her," Maria protests. "She's been so good to me these last few days…"

"I don't want to hurt her either," Rob assures. "But remember, I've been there before; I was even prepared to kill her if I had to."

"You're not suggesting…" Danny questions, hardly able to believe his ears.

"Only as an absolute last resort," Rob demands.

"What about using the Crystals?" Xander inquires.

"Second-to-last resort," Rob answers.

* * *

"You know they're plotting against you, don't you?" Captain Aquila informs Hanna over her collar radio.

"They're my friends; they're worried I might go crazy again," Hanna retorts. "They all know what happened last time I had the Fire Crystal; they'll make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Why? What happened?" Aquila asks; he receives no response. "That bad, huh?"

"Shut up and let me climb."

* * *

With the whole gang on the surface, and the vehicles loaded, Rob and Hanna lead the convoy to the last known location of the Fire Crystal: the bottom of a river on the edge of Rage Ravine.

* * *

Atop the cliff overlooking the deep and wide river, Hanna stares into the mid-distance.

"Last time I was here was only a few days after…" she murmurs. "I never thought I'd be back here so soon…"

"Me neither," Rob assures. "But it seems Fate has conspired against us."

"Not for the first time," Hanna agrees.

"I'm reaching for the shock button," Aquila taunts over Hanna's collar radio.

"Can't you just give me ten minutes?" Hanna snaps; the electric shock she receives is Aquila's answer. "Five minutes." Another shock. "Two." Another shock. "One then." Another shock. "Fine. Let's get this over with."


	3. Chapter 3

At the bank of the river, Hanna and Maria don the scuba gear; the others settle onto the bank.

"Maria, can you do me a favour?" Hanna asks.

"What?" Maria replies.

"When I uncover the Crystal, steal it from me, and flee for the bank as fast as possible," Hanna answers.

"Sure," Maria reluctantly agrees.

"OK," Hanna sighs; she takes a deep breath. "Let's go."

Maria follows Hanna into the river; as soon as it's deep enough, they dive underwater, and begin their search.

"Something's not right," Hanna worries a few minutes later. "I can't feel the Crystal."

"You're shaking," Maria observes. "You need to relax."

"I can try…" Hanna sighs. She closes her eyes, and attempts to clear her mind; it's not easy. Memories keep flooding up; Hanna begins to lose focus.

"You can do it," Maria assures, taking hold of Hanna's hand.

Hanna redoubles her efforts; her mind clears; the signal starts to come through, weak at first, but getting stronger. _I can feel it… I want it._ Without warning, Hanna spins in the water, and swims directly towards the Fire Crystal. She pushes herself as fast as she can go; Maria struggles to keep up.

_Here!_ Hanna plunges her hands into the soft riverbed; she feels a hard object, about the size of a deck of cards. She grips it hard; a familiar warmth floods her veins. _My Crystal! We are reunited!_ A quick tug; the Crystal breaks free.

Maria makes her move; shoving Hanna's face into the mud as a distraction, Maria claws Hanna's wrists. Hanna's grip falters; Maria swipes the Crystal, and immediately turns towards the bank, accelerating to top speed.

"_Get back here!_" Hanna yells, pursuing the lynx. But Maria is quicker; she gets to the bank, and scrambles ashore.

"She's right behind me!" Maria cries in alarm; shedding the air tank to save weight, she sprints to the treeline.

"_That's MY Crystal! Hand it over!_" Hanna screeches as she scrabbles ashore. Rob signals; Danny and Xander waste no time in pinning Hanna to the ground. "_Get off me!_" Hanna demands.

"Keep her pinned!" Rob commands; Xander uses his weight advantage to pin Hanna's torso, holding her arms securely, while Danny focusses on the thrashing tail and kicking legs. Rob pulls out a syringe, and injects Hanna's arm with the contents.

"_What is that?_" Hanna shrieks. "_What are you…_ doing to… me? Let… me…" Hanna slips unconscious as the powerful sedative sets to work.

"I'm sorry Hanna," Rob sighs, "but we have to."

"What do we do now?" Danny asks. "The sedative will wear off in a couple of hours."

"We have five two-hundred-foot ropes, a selection of sturdy trees, and plenty of bandages and tape," Rob observes.

"But that's-"

"The only way to be sure of our safety. And hers."


	4. Chapter 4

Two hours later, Hanna stirs awake. _Ugh, what happened? Last thing I remember was- oh, I went crazy. Just as I feared I would. Probably scared Maria half to death, the poor girl. She's had it pretty rough these last few days; I owe her an apology._ Opening her eyes, she struggles to make out any detail; her vision is just a blur. _I was sedated? Guess that's only fair._ She tries to get up, only to find herself pinned in place. _What the…_ As her vision clears, she can make out the rope holding her firmly to a tree; she can also make out her friends clustered ten feet away.

"Maria?" Hanna calls; there is no answer. "Look, Maria, I'm sorry if I scared you. But I'm OK now, so please, can you set me free?" Still no answer. "Come on Maria, this isn't funny."

"It wasn't Maria's idea, it was mine," Rob explains, walking up to her.

"Did she put you up to this?" Hanna asks.

"No," Rob answers.

"Then you have some explaining to do. Or do I have to break free first?"

"You won't be able to break free; we were pretty thorough."

"I like a challenge. Plus you know how well I can use my claws."

"Which is why we wrapped your hands in the bandages, taping them in place."

"That explains why I can't straighten my fingers," Hanna sighs; she struggles a moment. "And I can't move my arms either. Or stand."

"Like I said, we were pretty thorough," Rob reaffirms.

"It's because I went crazy, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"But I'm OK now."

"I'm not freeing you."

"Really, I mean it. I'm OK. I won't go crazy again."

"I'm not freeing you," Rob repeats.

"Fine," Hanna sighs. "Guess I asked for this."

Without warning, everyone's collars emit a strange gas that puts them to sleep within seconds.

All except Hanna's.

"Captain?" Hanna asks. "Aren't you forgetting someone?"

"No," Aquila replies over Hanna's collar radio.

"Oh."

A compact truck rumbles into view; the lieutenant and two armed personnel disembark. While the two personnel load the sleeping Scarves, the lieutenant approaches Hanna. He removes Hanna's scarf, doubling it up and refitting it as a cleave gag; he then proceeds to remove the collar. Retreating, he assists the others with loading Hanna's friends into the truck; the task complete, the lieutenant and the personnel re-enter the cab, and drive away.

Hanna, alone and helpless, weeps.


	5. Chapter 5

Night falls; Hanna watches as the stars begin to resolve in the sky. _How long have I been stuck here? Is anyone going to rescue me? Or am I going to die here, tied to this tree, my own scarf muffling my calls for help?_ A quick sniff; a nose curl of disgust. _Sat in my own filth?_

A rustle in a nearby bush. _My saviour?_ A small bird emerges from the bush, flying up into a tree to roost for the night. _I shouldn't get my hopes up like that. I wonder how much dying of hunger will hurt… no, that's stupid; I'll die of thirst first. Maybe, as I slip into delirium from dehydration, it'll lessen the pain… or am I just getting my hopes up again?_

_I gotta get outta here!_

Panic sets in; Hanna starts thrashing, trying desperately to loosen her bonds. _I don't wanna to die I don't wanna die I don't wanna die I don't wanna I don't wanna I don't wanna..._ In one last act of fearful desperation, Hanna screams, long and loud; the scream is rendered impotent by the scarf-gag. Breathless, she restlessly looks all around, in the slim hope that someone heard her.

There is no-one.

A few deep breaths; the panic subsides. After one last hopeful look yields no saviour, Hanna hangs her head, and accepts the inevitable. _It's official; I will die here. I wonder if my friends are still alive…_

* * *

"_You left her out there to die, helpless and alone?_" Rob yells in frustration, straining at his shackles. "_You're a monster!_"

"No, just taking advantage of the opportunity you provided me," Captain Aquila gloats. "And it's thanks to _your_ ropework that she's trapped, helpless and alone."

"_I will take your life with my bare hands!_" Rob promises.

"No, you won't," Aquila grins. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have five shiny new Crystals to play with."

As Aquila leaves the cargo bay, Rob yells after him, "_I will have vengeance!_"

"Rob, calm down," Danny requests. "All this yelling isn't going to accomplish anything."

"You're right," Rob replies, voice shaky. "Nothing matters anymore. All that is left for us is a quick death at best."

"We've been in sticky situations before," Danny reminds, "and we've always prevailed."

"Not like this," Rob counters. "And Hanna has it worse; she's alone, helpless, and, if she has any sense at all, scared witless. Not only will her death be agonising and slow, her memories will make it worse. She will have time to think and rethink all the mistakes she's made in her life, and how they've affected not just her, but also those she loves. It will break her heart. And knowing that breaks _my_ heart," he finishes, almost silent.

* * *

"Prepare to take off, lieutenant," Aquila commands as he enters the shuttlecraft cockpit.

"I advise against that at this moment, captain," the lieutenant responds.

"Why?" Aquila demands.

"The Coalition patrol has stepped up, sir," the lieutenant explains. "It seems their suspicions have been aroused."

"I thought this shuttle was undetectable by their scanners?"

"The mothership's scanners, sir, yes. The fighter patrols, no."

"Then we're stuck here?"

"Affirmative, sir."

"How long for?"

"I cannot be sure sir; I'll keep monitoring."

"Take off as soon as there's an opportunity."

"Yes sir."


	6. Chapter 6

Sunrise.

Hanna wakes slowly, as the morning's first light bathes her in a gentle warmth. _So thirsty…_ Opening her eyes, she lazily looks around. _Still stuck. No-one rescued me overnight._ A low grumble. _Guess I'm hungry too. But the thirst will get me first._ A wince. _Headache; dehydration confirmed. By midday, I'll probably be slipping into delirium._

A bird flies from a tree, heading out to the river; it lands on the bank, and starts to drink. _That's it, rub it in. Are you the same bird that tricked me yesterday? I hate you._ A moment's pause. _That's not fair; you're just a dumb bird. You know nothing._ The bird, thirst slaked, bathes in the shallow waters. _Now you're just torturing me._

The bird flies off. _Alone again._ A sigh._ How did my life come to this? Tied to a tree in the middle of nowhere, unable to escape, alone and helpless, waiting to die of thirst, only my thoughts and random wildlife to stave off boredom. Maybe I'll go insane before the delirium sets in. At least then I won't be so bored._

Voices. _Is someone coming?_ Hanna looks around frantically, trying to find the source of the words drifting in on the breeze; she spots a young couple on the opposite bank. She tries to scream, but her scarf-gag renders her efforts futile. Eventually, the couple vanishes from view, and the voices fade away.

_Worth trying at least. Cling to the tiniest shred of hope._

* * *

An hour later. _Joining the Scarves, aged 12. I haven't thought about that in years. On the way back from the Kingdom Stone; I was chaperoning some of the younger orphans. The accident… I was the only survivor. I can still remember the fear on the children's faces. If it wasn't for that, I'd have remained at the orphanage. I'd probably be working there now, caring for and raising the children…_

_Instead, I ended on the path to a life of crime and violence._ Hanna blinks away a tear. _I've lost count of the number of lives I've taken. Never did work out how many Elementals I fried that day. But worst of all… the family. I took the innocent lives of two children._ The tears begin to flow freely. _Their faces have haunted my nightmares ever since._

_And Rob…_ Hanna, overcome with guilt and grief, cries uncontrollably as her heart breaks. _How could I treat the one I love so dearly in such a horrific manner? You're probably dead now. And it's all my fault! If I hadn't been so jealous… if I hadn't led us into the Dreadnought… if I had resisted temptation when I first saw the Crystal… if I had agreed to sell it… but no. I became obsessed. I allowed myself to distrust you. I drugged you so I could cut you open. I vowed to destroy you. And for what? A shiny red rock. A stupid flawed red rock!_

Hanna stops crying; she has no more tears left. _I'm feeling faint… I think I just brought my death forward._ She feels the ropes slacken. _And now for the delirium. It almost feels like I'm being rescued._

"Hey, stay awake," an unfamiliar yet caring voice instructs. "You need to drink." Hanna, her vision fading, feels hands removing her scarf-gag; half-conscious, she's dimly aware that someone is pouring water into her mouth. Instinct takes over; she gulps down what she can.

A few moments later, enough strength returns; she reaches for the bottle, clasping it between her bound hands. She drinks furiously; within seconds, the bottle is empty. Discarding it, she blinks rapidly as her vision begins to clear; for the first time, she can make out the smouldering orange fur, greying red hair, and marbled grey-black ears of her vulpine saviour.

"How long have you been here?" the voice asks. "Come with me; my home's nearby."

The stranger helps Hanna to stand; together, they walk towards the stranger's home.

"My name's Kathy. What's yours?"

"Hanna," Hanna croaks, her voice weak and broken.

"A fine name; I once had a daughter by that name," Kathy compliments. "She's gone now."

"My condolences."

"It was eighteen years ago. But thank you all the same."

"Same age as me."

"Yes," Kathy sighs in sorrow. "She would have been."


	7. Chapter 7

"You appear to have quite the appetite there!" Kathy exclaims with mirth as Hanna finishes off her triple-sized breakfast.

"I was tied to that tree for… I'm not sure exactly how long," Hanna explains, the strength and brightness starting to return to her voice. "All night, definitely. And all yesterday afternoon."

"And your friends just left you there?" Kathy asks, concerned.

"Involuntarily," Hanna explains. "It's a _very_ long story. And it's not one I'm comfortable sharing with someone I've only just met. Even if she did just save my life."

"Fair enough," Kathy accepts. "I won't pry any further."

"I just realised: I must stink something fierce," Hanna admits.

"Yes, you do," Kathy chuckles. "Luckily, I don't mind. Why don't you go wash? I'll try and find a fresh outfit for you. I don't think those capris, cute as they are, are suitable attire anymore."

"Thank you again," Hanna replies. "I cannot stress enough how much I appreciate you helping me as much as you are."

"I used to be a mother," Kathy explains. "You never forget how to be one."

"I never had a mother," Hanna sighs. "Or a father."

"Orphan?"

"From birth. Or at least close enough to make no difference."

* * *

Hanna showers for three times longer than usual, in order to wash all the dirt, grime, and filth out of her fur. Still not entirely satisfied, she examines herself in the bathroom mirror. _It'll have to do. At least I'm orange again; brown is such an ugly colour._ Wrapping herself in a towel, she finds a change of clothes left by the door. Five minutes later, dried and dressed, Hanna returns to the den.

"It's going to take a while to get used to these bell-bottoms," she chuckles. "And the blouse doesn't really do it for me. Kinda makes me look a bit old. No offence."

"None taken," Kathy smiles. "It was the fashion when I was your age; I guess teens today prefer the more racy stuff you wear. Oh, and I washed and dried your scarf."

"Thankyou." Hanna accepts the scarf, and puts it on. "A big improvement," she smiles.

"I take it you're a member?" Kathy inquires.

"Since the age of 12," Hanna explains. _That was unexpectedly honest…_

"I won't judge," Kathy assures. "I used to be one myself, as was my husband, many years ago. Though our scarves were neckerchiefs, not infinities." _I never tell anyone about my past, and yet…_

"Is this your husband in this photo?" Hanna asks, picking a framed portrait off a shelf.

"His name is Mike."

"He's a hare, just like Rob."

"Who's Rob?"

"My boyfriend." Hanna pauses. "He was kidnapped yesterday. As were three other friends."

"My deepest sympathies; I lost my husband to kidnappers."

"My condolences."

"It was eighteen years ago. But thank you all the same."

"A lot happened to you eighteen years ago," Hanna remarks.

"It's not easy, but I live with it," Kathy sighs.

"I hate to be rude," Hanna states, returning the photo to the shelf, "but I need to go find my friends. If they're still alive."

"You should really rest; you're still weak."

"I know, but I don't have time. I may be too late already, but that won't stop me."

"Then go," Kathy smiles knowingly. "Just promise me you'll return once it's all over."

"I will," Hanna assures.

Unknowingly, they both share a common thought: _Why does it feel like she's family?_


	8. Chapter 8

Midday, and Hanna arrives home; inexplicably, she sees two ATVs in the garage. _Surely not?_ She dashes to the front door, opening it as quickly as possible, and bursts into the den; she finds it empty. A quick patrol of the house confirms only the vehicles made it back. _So Captain Aquila kidnaps my friends, and leaves me to die alone, helpless, and petrified, yet is thoughtful enough to return our vehicles? Either he's mad, or he returned them specifically to drive me mad._

_Whatever the reason, he will die by my hand._

* * *

After a quick change of clothes, Hanna returns to the den, clad in her familiar halterneck-and-capris combination. Tossing the blouse and bell-bottoms on the sofa, she spots a note falling from a pocket. Intrigued, she picks the note up, and begins to read.

_Even though today is the first time we've met, I could not shake the feeling we somehow knew each other already. Normally, I don't tell anyone about my past; it's full of secrets I vowed to take to my grave. Yet I told you without hesitation. I could read in your body language that you seemed to have a similar feeling; you were certainly more open than I expected a Red Scarf to be. If I am mistaken, then I apologise._

Hanna pauses a moment. _Kathy, you're not mistaken._ She carries on reading.

_Either way, you can keep the clothes if you want to; I have plenty enough already. If you don't want to keep them, then please donate them to a charity or a second-hand store. They helped you when you needed it; maybe they'll help someone else._

Hanna pauses again. _Donate to charity; I much prefer my halterneck and capris anyway. But that can wait until I have rescued my friends. Or recovered their corpses._ She continues.

_Don't worry about returning the favour; I'm happy to help. But I do want you to do one thing for me._

_Live a long and happy life._

_Kathy Skarlett_

Hanna folds the note. _A long and happy life sounds- wait, what was that name?_ She unfolds the note and re-reads the name.

_Kathy Skarlett_

"Skarlett?" Hanna breathes in disbelief. _She told me about the daughter, lost eighteen years ago; she called her Hanna. Eighteen years ago, I was left at the orphanage… By the Ancients, she can't be…_ Hanna sprints upstairs, into the bedroom, and opens the drawer by her bedside. After a moment's frantic rummaging, she finds the old yellowed note she was looking for; opening it carefully, she reads the names at the bottom.

_Mike &amp; Kathy Skarlett_

Hanna compares the two notes. _The handwriting… it's… identical!_ Stunned, Hanna's legs give way; she hits the floor hard, the two notes fluttering to the floor. _I… I just met my mother! This is too much; I need a moment._ A shake of her head. _No. Cannot worry about that now. I need to find my friends. I need to find Rob._

* * *

Armed with her steel nunchaku, slung on the hips, and Rob's black sai, sheathed on her back in Rob's double-baldric, Hanna speeds away from the house on her ATV.

Her intention: to rescue her friends.

And kill Captain Aquila Kawaguchi.


End file.
